Bodies Found After Avalanche Buries Army Camp
The first bodies have been recovered after a devastating avalanche engulfed a Pakistan army base in the Himalayas, Sky sources say.
A security official said more than 12 bodies have been recovered from the Gayari sector of Siachen in the country's north.
The avalanche buried more than 100 soldiers at the base early this morning.
Troops with sniffer dogs, aided by helicopters, have been trying to find signs of survivors in the snow.
Rescuers search after Pakistan avalanche
A team of doctors and paramedics has also been sent to the mountainous area, a security official said.
Pakistan High Commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan told Sky News that a huge rescue operation is underway.
“It is a very horrendous tragedy,” he said.
It is a very horrendous tragedy... the terrain is most difficult… it is the highest battlefield in the world.
Pakistan High Commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan
“Attempts are being made to rescue as many [soldiers] as possible. The terrain is most difficult… it is the highest battlefield in the world.”
State-run Pakistan television said rescuers were facing difficulties getting heavy machinery to the far-flung area.
Army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said: "At six o'clock this morning this avalanche hit... over 100 soldiers and personnel are trapped."
Pakistan troops in snow
Troops train in the hazardous terrain (library picture)
In a statement, Pakistan prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani expressed his shock at the incident, which he said "would in no way would undermine the high morale of soldiers and officers."
The Kashmir region - of which Siachen is a part - is divided between fierce rivals Pakistan and India, and is claimed by both in full.
Thousands of Pakistani and Indian troops are based on the Siachen Glacier, which is 20,000 feet (6,000 metres) above sea level.
More soldiers have died from natural disasters than actual fighting in the region.
Avalanches and landslides frequently block roads and leave communities isolated in the mountains of Pakistan, neighbouring Afghanistan and Kashmir.
In February, at least 16 Indian soldiers on duty in the mountains of Kashmir were killed when two avalanches swept through army camps.
Most of the time on Siachen, the bad weather prevents any troop movement and despite the heavy deployment, clashes are generally low-level skirmishes involving a few dozen troops.
Avalanche Buries Pakistani Soldiers At Army Base On Siachen Glacier | World News | Sky News